Book Reccomendations: John Green and Tamora Pierce

This summer, I participated in the Los Angeles Public Library reading club and read away. Books are the best company during the summer. Even though I enjoy watching television shows and playing on the computer, sometimes getting away from electronics and just reading a book is really satisfying.  Even though we posted a book list a little while ago, it was on books written by Asian authors. Those books we love a lot, but we also have a few favorites not related to Asian culture, acceptance and whatnot.

Let us start with one of our favorite authors, John Green. (I've only read two as of now but my sister has read quite a few). As a teenager, I feel like I can really connect to his books and they all have really deep meanings to them. The two I have read are: The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska.  The Fault in Our Stars is about a a girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster. Hazel has cancer. She goes to a cancer therapy class and one day she meets Augustus Waters a cancer-free, funny, handsome, and smart guy. I don't want to give anything away because it's seriously such a wonderful book you have to read it. (Although I must warn you: All of John Green's books are inspiring, adorable, heart-wrenching, and wanting to crawl into fetal position-worthy).

I liked Looking For Alaska as well. It's about a boy named Miles Halter. (whew I almost forgot his name because I'm so used to calling him Pudge.) A lot of people compare Pudge to Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye, but personally I think Miles is a great character in his own right. Basically, Miles goes to boarding school and meets the beautiful and exciting, Alaska Young, intimidating yet sweet Colonel, and the fox, Takumi, and a few others. Basically, Pudge has friends for once. And he just does a lot of crazy things that touching and inspiring.

Over the summer, I also got into the Tamora Pierce books. Is it that embarassing since they were in the kids section? Noooo, not at all, I love them.  All of Tamora Pierce's books are set in medieval times, and the main characters are girls. I started with Alanna:The First Adventure. Alanna is the protagonist of The First Adventure. She's one of those protagonists you actually root for. I don't know about you but I always get annoyed with the girl protagonists acting like 'ahh i'm so conflicted between this guy or this guy. oh my gosh boy troubles'. Alanna is actually completely the opposite.  She has no time for such nonsense!

Anyway, most of Tamora Pierce's books come in quartets. I started with The Song of the Lioness quartet, I'm done with the Immortals, and am now going to read the Circle of Magic quartet. She has a few more that I'll read for sure also. Her books are funny, action packed, and also focus on growing up and adolescence. I think they're all quite good for teenagers to read. (I'm not really sure why it's in the kiddy section of the library...I don't think it should be) These books give me so much joy I don't even know why. It's also really nice getting a warm cup of coffee (except on ridiculously hot days like these maybe a cold drink) and curling up under the covers to read a good book. I'll probably post book recommendations once a month since there are so many good books out there but would take up too much time to read about in this one post.

Now go read a book!

The Robo Games Trilogy

In honor of my favorite books EVEH "The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins being made into a movie that's coming out this weekend, I'm renaming my 3 posts about my Lego League Robotics competition. The Robo Games Trilogy. These are real events, unlike the book. Check them out here:

Part 1: The Competition
Part 2: Catching the Pig
Part 3: Victory

Hehe....Kind of a spoof on the Hunger Games Logo...It's a NXT block
 (which is used in lego league robotics). Made it on AI.

Well, you know what they say...Bollywood meets Jane Austen

 

"No life without wife."

At least that's what they say in "Bride and Prejudice," in which the stunning Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stars as the female lead, Lalita.  The movie is a Bollywood spinoff on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and while it does follow closely to the original storyline, it differs in its culture and setting.

Instead of being set in early 19th century England as Pride and Prejudice is, "Bride and Prejudice" takes place almost 200 years later--and in India.  Cultured and well-bred Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice becomes the free-spirited and beautiful Lalita, and the characters of Elizabeth's three sisters all undergo similar transformations.  Energetic and cheerful Mr. Bingley becomes Balraj, and fanatic Catholic Mr. Collins becomes nerdy and socially-awkward Mr. Kohli. While cold and seemingly emotionless Mr. Darcy keeps his original name in his character adaptation, he goes from being wealthy Englishman and owner of the grand Pemberley to a wealthy and successful owner of a Los Angeles hotel chain. And finally, my favorite transformation of all: Mr. Wickham goes from being something of a playboy and a scumbag to being even more of a playboy and a scumbag.

 One of the themes in both the movie and the book is that of the desires of wealthy single men to marry an eligible young woman.  Jane Austen expresses this idea very eloquently at the opening of her book: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."  "Bride and Prejudice" simplifies this: "No life without wife."

I encourage all Pride and Prejudice fans out there to watch the Bollywood adaptation.  You are sure to get a lot of laughs out of that one.